The Linstead Chronicles
by SinghThatSong2894
Summary: An alternate timeline of season 3 focusing heavily if not entirely on Linstead. OC included of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Heya!**

 **I'm a big fan of Chicago PD and writing has always been a wee hobby of mine hence the conception of 'The Linstead Chronicles'.**

 **I'm no Salinger or Rowling, I'm half decent at the most . This is my first ever FanFic and I'm extremely nervous -I'd love and appreciate some kindness in your reviews to help me out!**

 **As much as I adore reading Linstead Romance on this website, I intend to keep intact some semblance of the drama and plot Chicago PD packs to support my Linstead focus.**

 **I really appreciate Reviews- don't be shy!**

 **Cheers-**

 **S.S**

* * *

Jay Halstead paced furiously as he impatiently waited for her to answer his phone call. He spent every free second he had in the past week trying to get a hold of her. "Come on Erin", he muttered.

He rubbed his temples and groaned, agitated by another failed attempt at reaching out to his now former partner. It had been five weeks since they'd cooled off an impetuous romance that blossomed during Lindsay's stint with the FBI when Nadia was mercilessly killed. Jay restrained himself from showing up at her door every night to check in for the sake of keeping things professional. He was now angrily cursing under his breathe in deep regret over not making more of an effort to stop Erin's downward spiral earlier. She had shut him out the day they'd returned from New York and he understood she needed time but when Voight informed him of her resignation and that Atwater was his new partner , Jay was stunned.

Erin Lindsay loved her job. She was the best cop he knew. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. He was sure that he loved her before they had to break it off and came close to telling her on countless occasions. Jay wasn't going to give up on her so easily even if she pushed him away further. The challenge was presently finding the MIA Erin Lindsay. He went to her apartment every night and knocked to no avail. Nights after a bust were spent sipping two large coffees in his car waiting for a glimpse of Erin entering her apartment. He had even tried enlisting Mouse's help to track her down but was caught by Voight. The icy glare from Voight was enough to dissuade Mouse from using his hacking talents to help Jay.

Feeling defeated and deflated by weight of the day's events, Jay sunk into his couch and poured himself half a glass of Scotch. Not having Erin by his side during shootouts , car chases and in the office to share the occasional flirty glance with had started to gnaw away at him. He missed her. He missed the low ,husky ,almost rough sound of her voice, the way she managed to simultaneously smell of coconut , oranges and gunpowder and most of all , her signature Erin Lindsay wit. He was still in love with her and would do whatever it took to bring her home.

As he sipped his drink he felt his phone buzz. _I'm outside your apartment , are you home ? Need a place to hide - E_

Jay practically flew out of his seat and swung the door open. Before him stood the woman who stole his heart. Erin Lindsay's eyes couldn't hide a sense of brokenness. Her skin had paled except for dark rings under her eyes which gave her a raccoon like appearance and she had lost weight, enough to see that her cheeks receded dimples that once could break hearts looked like they had never existed . She resembled a flickering light bulb that was about to fuse into a permanent darkness .Jay felt his breathing slow and chest ache. Without waiting another moment he threw his hands around her and buried his face into her hair. She stood still with her arms awkwardly at her side fighting the urge to let the tears filling her eyes flow freely and without caution. She felt Halstead's body convulse and automatically looped her arms around his waist. She muffled a sob into his shirt as he gripped her body tighter. That's when she knew the battle was a lost cause.

They stood motionless for quite a while, only the sounds of Jay's breathing and Erin's sniffling interrupting their synchronised silence. Jay didn't loosen his hold on her as she rested her forehead under his chin, her ten fingers interlocked over his lower back. "Erin", Jay finally manage. His throat was very dry and he felt his voice breaking. Not wanting to let go , he gently pulled himself back and took hold of both sides of her face. He stared into her bloodshot hazel eyes but found himself focusing on her lips which were bitten and cracked. "They're coming for me Jay ", she simply replied. "Who?" , he pulled back and gently squeezed her shoulders. " We can't stay here and I can't do this alone. I'm begging you to come with me. I'm terrified-

"Who's coming for you Erin? You need to tell me. I can call the unit, we can fix this -"

"No, you can't call them ! I've disappointed Voight enough. I got into some bad company with Bunny, made some wrong choices. I've managed to stop shooting up for the past three days but everything's clear now and I'm terrified. I owe 95 K in cash and I only had till yesterday to cough it up... ", her voice trailed off as her knees began to wobble. The tight knot that had inhabited her chest had finally begun wreaking havoc. Before she knew it , she felt her balance escape but two strong arms didn't let her fall.

" Let me grab my gun and badge. We can talk in the car ". He pressed his lips to her forehead and gave her one final embrace.

Hand in hand, they walked into the cool Chicago night uncertain of what tomorrow would look like.

" Jay", Erin whispered as they approached his car.

"Yeah?"

" You're still not driving ".

Jay couldn't help but laugh . As he handed over the keys swore he saw a shadow of a smirk in the darkness and a glimpse of hope and life in her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A speedy update because I had a flurry of ideas for Chapter 2 and needed to pound it out quick as the light bulbs above my head were flashing like crazy. Hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Currently brainstorming Chapter 3 and hope to have it out soon. Again, reviews/comments/questions and concerns are welcomed with open arms!**

 **Cheers,**

 **S.S**

* * *

" So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" , Jay felt a bit uneasy breaking the short silence between them. They had been driving close to an hour, leaving the Chicago skyline behind in the distance.

" Took you long enough to ask", she replied. He saw her briefly lift the corners of her mouth. They sat in darkness listening to the hum of the suburbs as Erin drove them further away from the city. She had tensed up as they pulled away from his apartment. He had lost her to deep thought and what he sensed was fear and nervousness. With one foot on the accelerator, the other was restless , bouncing the entire journey.

" I trust with you my life, Erin. I told you I'd always have your back and I seriously meant that. No matter what's swirling in your head right now , I promise you that I'm going to support it unconditionally but I need to know what the plan is here, what exactly happened .. you know ?".

Jay waited for her to say something but her eyes remained fixed straight ahead . He closed his eyes and sighed. Another fifteen minutes of soundlessness followed before a frustrated Jay turned the radio on.

They tuned in just as Chris Martin was about to hit the chorus of a Coldplay song. Before they made it to the rising beat, Erin abruptly pounded the off button.

"Hey! That was my favourite part !", Jay exclaimed.

" You're right. I owe you an explanation and about a dozen apologies", Erin began , her eyes still never leaving the road. " I let Voight down hard. I mentally checked out and let myself lose all purpose for a while. I shut you out. This past month has been me basically throwing away 15 years of discipline and self control". She paused momentarily, resisting the urge to cry.

"I made up with Bunny, Jay . I think that really says it all ", she bitterly chuckled at the mention of her mother.

Erin's voice was thick and hollow . As they passed another neighborhood, the street lights briefly illuminated her face and for a few seconds, Jay saw her in her entirety. He saw the worry etched in her forehead , the stiffness in her clenched jaw. Erin Lindsay exuded a painful numbness and it made Jay ache every time he looked at her. She noticed him staring and immediately began clutching the steering wheel with a new tightness.

" Erin , everyone falls off the wagon sometimes . What matters is that you get back up whenever you do and you did ". Jay reached over and reassuringly patted her knee.

" I snapped out of it because Pascal Demonte's goons came knocking at my door. When they didn't find me they went to Bunny's bar and gave her what they planned on giving me. Two black eyes and a few broken ribs".

"Pascal Demonte? The crab king of Chicago. He's clean though , Voight's never been able to book him for anything ".

" When I was working for the FBI , his seafood operation was heavily under investigation. Pascal works for his cousin , Cooper Demonte who's a big shot fishery owner in East Coast Canada. Along with crab and lobster , they've been bringing in high volumes cocaine into the country. I met Pascal at Bunny's bar right after I quit Intelligence. He offered me a job and I took it". She swallowed and began drumming her fingers on the wheel.

" What did the job entail?", Jay's tone turned stern. He turned his body towards her and crossed his arms. He was angry. He didn't have to show it.

Erin knew how he felt about cops turning dirty. She gave him a quick sideways glance and could feel his disappointment radiating towards her.

" He wanted me to use my CIs and distribute the drugs throughout the city. He was giving me a 10% cut and as much of the stuff as I wanted. Word got out that I wasn't a cop anymore, my CIs turned on me and three of them disappeared with about 30K of coke each."

"Erin -, Jay began, trying not to scoff.

" No Jay. Listen to me ", she interjected firmly, catching him off guard. "I've consciously sabotaged every wonderful aspect of my life and I'm in a royally screwed up mess. The guilt of people getting hurt because of what I've done has been eating away at me since I came down from my high. There's still a part of me that thinks I should turn this car around and drop you home .I could never live with myself if something happened to you because I was looking for redemption". Her eyes were burning with tears and she could feel her lip begin to quiver.

"Erin", Jay tried to calm her down

"No Jay, I'm turning around. This was a stupid idea. I should have just done alone-

"Erin", listen to me"-

"That's it I'm turning around", she took a sharp turn at a cul de sac. They had reached one of the nicer suburbs of Chicago. The houses varied between different shades of white or old-fashioned brick, all built in a similar colonial style with large front yards and three door garages.

"ERIN, STOP THE CAR ", Jay finally screamed. Erin immediately hit the brakes. They both quickly jerked forward and the car came to an abrupt halt. Jay managed to stop his head from banging on the dashboard.

"Erin", Jay was now panting. " Come here". He unbuckled his seatbelt and motioned her towards him. She maneuvered herself over the gearbox and sat between his legs, resting her head on his chest. He stroked her back and pressed his lips on the top of her head.

"You don't have to come with me ", she murmured into his chest. " I can't lose you too. It would be the end of me ".

"Lindsay, look at me", he stared intensely into her eyes. " Listen to me. I've been trying to tell you this from the time we became partners. I will always be here for you and you will always have me as back up. I'm not going anywhere". We're going to fix this together. But you need to tell me what the plan is, where the heck we're going .

"We're heading to New York. I've called in a favor with Agent Benson with SVU. She's interested in the case because Cooper Demonte may have had his hands in a couple of prominent prostitution rings near the border", she whispered in her raspy voice.

They locked eyes for a moment. Jay leaned in but decided against her lips. It was too soon. She was fragile and he needed to be her wall of support and her source of strength. He softly kissed both her cheeks, then her nose. Their foreheads rested against each other and they sat breathing heavily, entangled in each other's arms.

" Well, lets go then", he replied. She climbed back into the driver's seat and ignited the engine. With one hand on the wheel and one hand entwined with Jay's, they made their way into the darkness once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay! The story will pick up within the next week, I promise! Until then, keep reviewing/following/reading!**

 **-S.S**

* * *

" Greasy breakfast food and free wi-fi. God bless America", Erin chuckled as she attacked a pile of fried eggs, bacon and toast. A waitress stopped by their table with plate of hash browns and pancakes they ordered to share. They had driven close to eleven hours in mostly silence a part from Jay's light snoring before finally pulling over at a nondescript highway dinner, 'Route 99's' on the border of Pennsylvania and New York.

" I better not get a belly by the end of this road trip or Tony and the boys are going to kill me", Jay replied. He was tucking into a hefty breakfast that mirrored Erin's, with equal enthusiasm.

"Voight might put you on desk duty for a while if those breakfast sandwiches start showing. Actually, wait, is that last night 7-11 pizza run concealing those abs?", she laughed.

"Careful with those pancakes Lindsay. Remember that saying? A moment on your lips, forever on your hips. Too bad it doesn't apply to me and my non-child bearing body", Jay shot back grinning.

" You pig. I was going to say you'd kind of look cute with a tiny paunch but I'll let Platt dole out the compliments when we get back, Detective Chuckles". She narrowed her eyes at him and smirked. Her dimples were out in full force and it started to look like the color in Erin Lindsay's eyes had returned. Jay was finding it hard to conceal his delight at the restoration of their free flowing banter.

"Erin, speaking about being back at the precinct, uh…" Jay began nervously not wanting to abruptly end the comfort level they had finally established, " It may be Sunday and my day off but tomorrow Voight's going to wonder why I didn't come to work".

" Are you proposing we call him up and tell him we're trying to single handedly bring down a drug operation in Canada without his unit backing us", she replied sarcastically, still chewing and not looking up from her plate.

"Well, I'm not saying we shouldn't kind of tell him where we are", Jay said cautiously.

" Jay, don't be offended but before I came to yours I rushed to Olinsky's fearing for my life. Our history is storied as Voight's and mine. Al's watched me go from teenage delinquent to detective. I told him what was going down and we both agreed that I had to do this without Voight", Erin replied.

"You don't think Al pressed speed dial and told his friend and colleague of like thirty years about what his surrogate daughter had up her sleeve?", Jay frowned.

" Al knows better than anyone that I've put the man through enough. He took my relapse hard and I'm sure blames himself a little. And if I have to win back his trust, I need to show him I can clean myself up and my own mess", she stared past him and balled her firsts tightly.

"Erin," Jay said placing his hands over her fists, " I'm with you every step of the way". She nodded and gave him a genuine smile.

" You've saved up a lot of sick days Halstead so Al is going to handle everything. Before you showed up, he was a CPD undercover legend".

" I'm guessing we have no more than a week tops to get this done?", Jay crossed his arms and leaned back into the leather backing of their booth. "Benson's already accumulating a file on the Demonte's and possible location targets for the central warehouse where they export the coke . We'll probably first have to broker some sort of agreement with Canadian border patrol before we do anything though".

" Erin, you don't have your badge", Jay replied.

"Benson's helping us with that as well. I'll be a temporary NYPD freelance hire specifically for this case. We'll have to quickly squeeze in a session the gun range as soon as we get there , its a part of the protocol. End game is as soon as we get both Demonte's in custody and get a confession, we call in the 21st and have everyone over to help SVU with shutting down the prostitution rings. So technically, Voight will eventually join us in New York if everything goes according to plan".

Jay could see Erin's shoulders tensing up and the rigidness that inhabited her back at his apartment regain its control over her body.

" Erin, you're the best cop I know. Benson wouldn't put this much faith in you if she didn't believe it either. Don't worry, we've done crazier assignments in shorter time frames than this. We just need to trust each other okay?", Jay tried to be as gentle and calming as he slowly interlaced his fingers with hers.

" Hey, maybe we could make a quick trip to that cabin you won't shut up about after we're back in Chicago", Erin said in almost a whisper. " The one in Wisconsin", she quickly added.

Jay felt his cheeks tighten as they stretched wider than he thought possible.

"There's nothing I would love more. We might have to wait a while, if I'm using up my sick day reserve for this operation we'll have to plan it out properly", he didn't stop smiling. Releasing her hands from his , he slid them up her arms , reassuringly and gripped shoulders

"Jay?", Erin questioned.

"Yeah? Um, Er we should head out if we want to meet Benson before noon", he said absent mindedly. He pulled out his wallet .

" In one hour we'll be back where I last saw her", her voice began to break. Jay immediately took her hands in his once more.

"I know and you're going to be strong. Don't forget that I'll be right right beside you. Always. Okay?". She nodded her head and instead of tears, Erin Lindsay's eyes glistened with determination.

" To New York city", she said.

" To New York city", he echoed.


End file.
